Bought Some Sterbai!

[bigstinka]

just bought some sterbai form my local shop they are selling them for 2 @£8.99 i got 6 and a bristlenose plec for £14 a friend works there 8) . i will try to get some more.

what water parameters are best suitable for these fish?
i would like to try breeding if possible.
they are in a tank 12x24x12 with sand substrate and a few pieces of slate for decor.ph is around 8 amonia and nitrates are fine been running over a month now. corys are in the tank alone.

i realise my ph is high but whats the best way to reduce it?
i have tried some liquid ph reducer but didnt seem to work. would some bog wood be benificial? i have use of a ro unit.
thanks!

 

[bogwood]

i realise my ph is high but whats the best way to reduce it?

Is your PH close to that of where you bought the Sterbai?... Its more important that PH is constant and not fluctuating than the specific level... My ThreeLine Corys do fine in a PH of 8.5... that's what they were in at my lfs...

btw, £14 seems steep for a Bristlenose Plec (if that's what you meant), unless its a biggun... my lfs sells 2 to 3 inchers for a £5...

 

[Inchworm]

Hi bigstinka

C. sterbai are, IMHO, among the most beautiful of the corys. You are lucky to have found them.

Your pH might be a little on the high side, but wait a while and see if they will adapt to it. They might be fine and if you can avoid having to change it, so much the better. The thing you want to be sure to avoid is having it fluctuate up and down. This can cause a lot of harm to them.

They need nice clean water and as long as you can keep your nitrates low, they will be fine. Sterbai like their water a little on the warm side, compared to other corys, so try to keep it between 75 and 82 degrees F.

C. sterbai seem to need to be fully mature before they will spawn, so feed them a good diet including plenty of live or frozen worms.

 

[bigstinka]

i got all the fish for £14 bargain. they seem quite small about 1'' to 1 and a quarter.
would bogwood be benificial? i can get it with java fern or moss on it.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi bigstinka

Bogwood might bring your pH down a bit and in a gentle way. Why not ask about it in the Planted Tanks section. The members who post there can let you know more about just what to expect from it.